Cameron Boozer, Duke’s newest blue chip commit, is an NBA famous person within the making

Cameron Boozer has been so good for therefore lengthy that there generally is a tendency to take his regular dominance without any consideration. As the category of 2025 has come of age, gamers with extra explosive athleticism and extra spectacular powerful shot-making have gotten the lion’s share of the hype because the ‘subsequent large factor’ to uncover. The one fixed alongside the best way is that if Boozer and his twin brother are on the court docket, their workforce is sort of at all times profitable.

Cameron and Cayden Boozer dedicated to Duke over Miami on Friday. The twins will observe within the footsteps of their father, long-time NBA ahead Carlos Boozer, once they stroll onto campus in Durham. If their doubtless transient school keep is something like their illustrious highschool careers, the Blue Devils are going to be profitable video games at a excessive degree.

Right here’s a quick listing of accomplishments for Cameron and Cayden Boozer within the prep ranks:

• Three straight state championships at Miami’s Columbus Excessive College.
• Three straight EYBL championships with Nightrydas Elite, within the U15, U16, and U17 divisions.
• Two gold medals with USA Basketball’s junior packages, the place Cameron was named MVP of each occasions.

Throughout their first three years at Columbus, the Boozers went 85-12 total. Of their remaining season of grassroots ball on the EYBL, they completed the 12 months with a 22-1 report. As members of the U17 World Cup, the twins starred on a workforce that gained by a mean of 64.4 factors per recreation. Profitable comes simple to the Boozers, and there’s a lot extra to it than simply their NBA bloodlines.

Cayden is rated as a top-five level guard recruit within the nation. The 6’3 guard is a dogged point-of-attack defender and heady passer who is aware of how one can management the tempo of the sport. He tasks as a killer school level guard, and can doubtless at some point be an NBA draft decide. He’s additionally clearly a secondary story within the twins’ dedication, as a result of his brother appears to be like each bit like a future NBA famous person.

Cameron Boozer is 6’9 tank who has a respectable declare as essentially the most polished highschool scorer for the reason that shoe firm circuits got here into existence. From a uncooked statistical perspective, Boozer’s effectivity is mind-blowing. He posted a real capturing proportion at or above 70 p.c in each main occasion he’s performed in, and led the EYBL in factors per possession by a mile. With Boozer as the middle of their lineups, Nightrydas completed No. 1 in offensive effectivity and No. 2 in defensive effectivity this 12 months.

Boozer has so much going for him as a participant, however his largest weapon is his really feel for the sport. He’s a grasp at choosing out the weaknesses within the opposition’s schemes, and discovering essentially the most brutally environment friendly method doable to punish them.

It helps to be large and powerful, and Cameron Boozer is definitely that. Listed at 6’9, 235 kilos, Boozer is a hybrid large man with true three-level scoring capacity. In the identical recreation, you’ll typically see Boozer go from a heliocentric wing scorer to a post-up battering ram to a entrance court docket passing hub. He has no actual weaknesses in his ability set, and he persistently performs tougher and smarter than anybody else on the court docket.

Boozer is a strong inside scorer

Boozer needed to indicate his ability on the perimeter early in his profession, however as he received older it grew to become clear that nobody might cease him inside. He’s so good at establishing deep paint touches, and leveraging his masterful footwork and comfortable contact to seek out baskets inside. Right here he’s taking A.J. Dybantsa — the one participant ranked forward of him within the class of 2025 — into the paint off the bounce, and utilizing his large physique to create separation for the bucket inside.

Boozer can also be wonderful as a rebounder, particularly on the offensive finish. He performs with a persistently excessive motor that results in a number of putbacks per recreation. It’s frequent to see him observe his personal shot inside and put in his personal misses. He will get off the ground extraordinarily effectively for somebody with such a thick body, and his nostril for the ball is plain.

Right here’s Boozer grabbing a number of rebounds over future high NBA draft decide Cooper Flagg and Maryland-bound teammate Derik Queen earlier than ending via site visitors:

Boozer can deal with the ball like a star wing scorer

The dimensions and energy benefit Boozer has on his opponents in highschool goes to shrink as he jumps to school after which the professionals. NBA stars of all sizes and styles have to have the ability to play out on the perimeter now, and Boozer can very a lot try this.

He’s a sophisticated ball handler for somebody his measurement and his age, displaying good ball management and the power to remain low along with his dribble. He’s extra of a strength-based creator than somebody who will mud you along with his first step, however he’s a load to take care of as soon as he will get going downhill.

Gamers of all sizes simply appear to bounce off Boozer on his drives. He’s not closely strong-hand dependent, and does an excellent job of utilizing his thick decrease physique to maintain defenders off him. Watch him create area towards Queen and over over Flagg for one more bucket:

Boozer’s capturing appears to be like promising

Capturing growth will probably be a swing ability for any high prospect coming into the league with legit positional measurement. Boozer is already an excellent shooter, if not but an awesome one. It’s onerous to seek out dependable capturing percentages, however most stories usually have him round 33-35 p.c. He has a little bit of a gradual launch on this three-point shot proper now, however there’s little question he has actual vary.

Right here’s 4 instance of Boozer hitting deep three-pointers off the catch as a flooring spacer.

Boozer can move it, too

Boozer’s scoring is so efficient partly as a result of he hardly ever will get tunnel imaginative and prescient. He does an amazing job of mapping the ground and understanding the place his teammates are for an open move. It’s so uncommon to see a 16-year-old course of the sport like this.

Boozer’s passing actually pops when defenses begin to focus in on taking his scoring away. He hardly ever appears to power his personal scoring possibilities, and may throw some spectacular dimes when he has an open cutter.

Boozer’s outlet passing can also be a novel weapon. He understands the ball strikes sooner than your ft, and does a pleasant job of preserving his eyes up court docket when he grabs a rebound. Duke goes to attain so many simple buckets off his transition passing throughout his freshman 12 months.

Boozer appears to be like like a future NBA star

The race for the No. 1 total decide within the 2026 NBA Draft will come all the way down to Boozer vs. Dybantsa. Dybantsa is the No. 1 participant in most class of 2025 rankings proper now, and seems to have a good lead on Boozer to finally be the NBA’s high decide. Dybantsa — a wing within the Tracy McGrady mildew — is stuffed with projectable NBA upside. I nonetheless want Boozer’s polish, IQ, and effectivity, even when he isn’t as nimble and lacks Dybantsa’s nuclear explosiveness.

Boozer’s match on protection will probably be fascinating. He’s largely performed the 5 in highschool, however he’ll be a tad quick for that within the NBA. If he’s going to be a full-time 4, he’ll have to proceed to enhance as a shooter. Whereas his protection appears to be like strong from a paint safety standpoint, it’s truthful to surprise if his ft will probably be just a little gradual guarding NBA fours on the perimeter.

Nonetheless, Boozer’s mixture of statistical dominance and translatable, well-rounded abilities are too spectacular to guess towards. Born July 18, 2007, Boozer’s ruthless capacity to win on the highest ranges turns into extra spectacular once you understand he’s typically a lot youthful than his friends. If Flagg is one of the best NBA prospect outdoors of league proper now, Boozer isn’t far behind him as No. 2 in my e-book.

Duke has had some good outsized scoring forwards through the years, from Jabari Parker to Brandon Ingram to Jayson Tatum to Zion Williamson to Jalen Johnson to Paolo Banchero to Flagg. Boozer has an opportunity to be nearly as good as any of them.